First Impressions
by StarrFyre
Summary: My first Bones fic ever! Angela is just hired at the Jeffersonian. Rated K for light innuendo.
1. Chapter 1

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

_A/N: Hey there! Go easy on me, please! I haven't been writing fanfic for very long, and this is actually my very first "Bones" fanfiction! Please R&R!! There will be more chapters if people like it. _

_Disclaimer: I claim no ownership of these characters, and no affiliation whatsoever with Hart Hanson, "Bones", Fox, its affiliates, subsidiaries, etc. Please don't sue me!_

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Chapter 1

"Well, Ms. Montenegro. I think you'll fit in just fine here at the Jeffersonian. My apologies that Dr. Brennan couldn't be here herself to welcome you to our institution, but I'm sure she'll be interested in meeting you upon her return from Brazil later today." Dr. Goodman's deep voice was both friendly and comforting, and his brilliant smile easily coaxed an answering one from the dark-haired woman sitting across from him.

"Thank you, Dr. Goodman. I'm really looking forward to working here. And thank you so much for looking over my plans for my holographic imaging system – I really think it'll be useful here." Her enthusiasm was contagious, as was her obvious passion for her work. Her art. Angela Montenegro had been recommended by an old friend of his, and when Goodman had seen her art, he'd known with the same instinct he'd used in his work as an archaeologist that she was perfect for the position he needed her for. "If you don't mind, I'd like to go ahead and drop a couple things off in my new office . . . and take a look around, if that's okay?"

"If you like, I'd be more than happy to take you on a tour."

"No, that's okay." Angela smiled again. "I'd really just like to wander a little."

"Suit yourself. And please remember, Ms. Montenegro, the Jeffersonian is now your home. Feel free to go where you wish, and feel at ease."

"Thank you so much, Dr. Goodman! I'm sure I'll love it here." She gathered up her satchel and stood, holding a hand out to shake his. Being a gentleman, he not only shook her hand, but he also walked her to his office door. Ange paused in the doorway for a moment as he walked back to his desk, looking over her shoulder to memorize the image. The 'former' archaeologist, at home in his office – which looked like a comfortable study. The colors were rich and dark, just like the man, and she smiled inwardly. She could already tell he was a family man, even without noticing the wedding ring or the child's drawing taped to the wall next to a framed doctorate certificate. After a moment, she stepped out and shut the door, and headed down the hallway.

Naturally, the artist knew how to get to what would now be her office, her home away from home. However, she decided to head for the actual lab area first, just to see where she would be working. The architecture of the Institute intrigued her. It wasn't what she would've guessed for either a museum or a scientific laboratory. It felt futuristic to her, clean (but not sterile), and structured (but not boring). As she roamed down a wide, well-lit hallway, she could hear two male voices engaging in what sounded like a soon-to-be heated argument.

"-way! Leia is absolutely hotter than Amidala. Amidala was a _child_. Liking her is like . . . being interested in kiddie porn. Which you're not, right Zack? Because if you are, we're totally going to have to discuss your usage of my wi-fi network."

"Hodgins, of course not! I merely stated that Queen Amidala was very attractive. Moreso than Princess Leia. The connotations of their titles even suggests that Amidala was more attractive, being as how a Queen is believed to be – "

"Dude, they're not even close! Besides, their titles had nothing to do with how they looked. Leia was a Princess because of her adoptive father's status. Amidala was an elected Queen."

By now, Angela stood at the door to a room that contained a few stainless steel tables, some shelves, and two men. The older of the two had curly hair that one might call brown, except when the light hit it a certain way. From her vantage point, she could see that there were faint blond, and even some red streaks. She wished she could see his face, being a huge believer in eyes being the window to the soul. She wanted to see what eyes went with that body. Sure it was covered by a lab coat – and possibly a hooded sweatshirt – but her eyes could make out the shapely physique beneath.

The younger man – was he even a man? He looked like a teenager – had unruly hair, a few shades darker than the other. They both stood over what appeared to be a large bowl, wearing blue gloves, and goggles. She really hoped there wasn't something gross in the bowl.

Before they could start up with the argument again, Angela smiled slightly, then spoke up from behind them. "Actually, I think I have to agree about Leia. She's totally hotter than Ami, and didn't need the caked on make-up or the crazy hair to look gorgeous."

Both men jumped slightly at her voice, then turned. The younger guy had dark eyes, like Cadbury chocolate. The older guy, however, his eyes were a brilliant, bright blue, that had her thinking up how to mix a paint that would match the shade. Inwardly, she started the mantra that had served her well up till now. _Don't date people you work with. Don't date people you work with._

The older guy, who had a beard to go with that hair, spoke up first, "thanks for siding with me. You must be . . . "

"Angela Montenegro. The artist who will be doing facial reconstruction." The younger guy piped up. "You're really beautiful."

Angela blinked at his forwardness. "Wow. Thanks. That's really sweet."

"I'm not being sweet. Merely stating a fact."

Angela studied him for a moment, then shifted a glance towards the other man. "Is he always like this?"

"Yeah, pretty much." He smirked at the younger guy, then smiled broadly at the woman. Angela. He liked the name. "I'm Dr. Jack Hodgins. Bugs, slime, and particulates. My socially defunct friend here is Zack Addy; he's Dr. Brennan's grad student."

"Angela Montenegro. But please, call me Angela or Ange – not Ms. Montenegro. Makes me feel old."

"I wouldn't know why, Ange . . . you couldn't be a day over 25."

The tall brunette smiled again, shaking her head a bit. "I can already tell I'm going to have to look out for you."

Zack had already turned back to the bowl they'd been standing over, fitting a lid over it, then lifting it carefully and setting it on a shelf. "Hodgins flirts with all women. He's incorrigible."

Angela had to bite back a laugh at the look Hodgins sent to Zack. "Right. Well, it was nice meeting you both, but I'm going to go check out my office now. See you guys later." With that, she moved gracefully out of the room and headed on down the hall. Zack was in the process of taking off his gloves, while Hodgins stood in place, staring at where Ange had stood. After a moment, the scents of amber and hibiscus drifted within scent, and he breathed deep.

"Dude . . . I think I'm in love."

"That's impossible. Dr. Brennan says that love is merely a chemical reaction that is the result of various – "

"Zack. I didn't mean that literally. I just think that she's awesome. I know she is. I can tell." Shaking his head to dispel the fantasy that had already begun to form, Hodgins turned back to the table and noticed that Zack had already cleaned up. Shooting his best friend a slightly annoyed look, he moved to the other side of the room. "Now if you don't mind, I have some geo-chromatic reports to go over."


	2. Chapter 2

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

_A/N: Here is chapter 2, since I got so many reviews on my first chapter! I hope y'all enjoy!!! Please R&R!_

_Disclaimer: I claim no ownership of these characters, and no affiliation whatsoever with Hart Hanson, "Bones", Fox, its affiliates, subsidiaries, etc. Please don't sue me!_

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When Angela first stepped into her office, she felt both giddy and overwhelmed. There was also a touch of awe in her heart. It was the largest space she'd ever worked in that wasn't an art studio. A slow smile spread across her lips as she moved towards the desk and dropped her satchel in the chair, then turned to study the walls. Already, she knew which artwork she'd hang where – because, of course, her artwork was going in here. There were a few pieces just morbidly cheerful enough that would suit this space.

As she completed a full turn, her attention turned to the large area that she had requested for her holographic imaging equipment, and that had been renovated to her specifications. Her smile grew even wider as she stepped into the room. Of course the equipment hadn't been delivered yet, but she could still envision how everything would look.

"Take that, Mrs. Peabody," she murmured under her breath, recalling her tenth grade geometry teacher who had once insisted that art had no place in mathematics. Of course, this was because she'd drawn miniature landscapes all over her homework, but that was beside the point. A light knock at the door had her turning in surprise, then grinning.

"I have a delivery here for an….Angela Montene…gro?" The UPS driver was obviously barely even old enough to be able to drive one of those ugly brown trucks, and stuttered when his wide, grey eyes lifted and focused on the woman. "Um, do you, uh…need some help with unpacking it? It's pretty heavy."

_Aww, he's adorable._ Ange graced him with a smile and, since he seemed so eager to be of assistance, she nodded. "Sure, if you don't think it'll take you off of your route for too long. Bring them on in." He swallowed hard, then wheeled in a dolly that contained several large boxes all tied together.

It took Angela and the delivery boy – whose name, she found out, was Kenny; he was working while going to school and trying to work up the courage to ask out a girl named Patty – a situation that Ange gave him advice on – twenty minutes to get everything unpacked and in the places she needed it. Most of the computers she needed were at her apartment, but she'd be able to test a few things with the laptop she'd brought with her soon enough. After giving Kenny some money and a bit more free advice as thanks for helping out, she proceeded to begin hooking up her equipment.

When her immediate supervisor walked in two hours later, Angela was on her hands and knees, her head and torso behind one of the computers as she hooked things together.

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As Dr. Temperance Brennan walked towards the luggage area, she flipped open her phone and pressed the power button. A few minutes later, she was listening to her voicemail, frowning at the rather forceful ones from Dr. Goodman. While she honestly did not feel up to meeting and welcoming the newest employee at the Jeffersonian – who, she still thought inwardly, she believed was unnecessary and unqualified – she would do 'her job'. While she did believe that facial reconstruction was very important, based on the resume' she'd seen, this Angela Montenegro had no place at the institute. She was an artist. Sure, she had a few fancy ideas, but from what Brennan could see, little had come out of her creative musings. Dr. Goodman, however, had overruled her and stated that the woman merely needed the funding and support that they could provide.

It was for this reason that Brennan was not going home for a much needed nap to finish cataloguing the pictures and notes from the Brazilian dig, but was instead walking into her office to set down her laptop and overnight bag. Taking a brief moment to straighten her shirt and hair (though she'd never admit to being vain), she headed out of her office and down the hall. Inwardly, she hoped that Angela, being an artist, had already gone home for the day. Weren't artists supposed to be flighty, interested only in quick, self-gratification? Logic then stated that she should be out partying somewhere.

Which is why she was surprised when she stepped into Angela's office – also supposedly the soon-to-be Holographics room – and saw a shapely female half out of sight under a desk on which sat a lot of computer equipment.

"What are you doing?" she asked out of curiousness, though there was also a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"Ouch!" The word was punctuated by Angela's head knocking against the underside of the desk. Plugging in one last Ethernet cable, she backed out, rubbing her head absently. "Sorry, I wasn't expecting anyone to come in. Especially without knocking." One slim-fingered hand used the edge of the desk to boost her to her feet, and Angela turned to face the owner of the voice, a bright smile on her lips. She had to blink at first. The woman's eyes were a sharp, cool blue, almost like water-stained diamonds. Ange got the distinct feeling that the woman wasn't really seeing _her_, but instead evaluating her on the inside. Her features were elegant, and sharp, but there seemed to be little warmth at the moment. She could also see, faintly, that the woman was tired.

"I don't think I need to knock when I'm your boss."

Angela's welcoming smile slipped a little, and she tilted her head. "Right. Well. I guess that means you're Dr. Brennan. Angela Montenegro." She stepped forward, holding out a hand. "It's nice to meet you."

The other woman hesitated for a moment, then shook her hand. "I reserve such niceties until I've evaluated your work." She quickly let go of her hand again, glancing over the oriental woman's shoulder to the computers beyond. "I dislike repeating myself, but since you were halfway under that desk, I'll assume you didn't hear me. What were you doing?"

Angela didn't even attempt to smile this time, a bit annoyed. She shifted to turn towards the equipment, leaning in boot things up. "What I'm doing is hooking up the necessary equipment for the holographic imager I'm developing. I can show you how it works in a few minutes, if you want."

"That isn't necessary, Ms. Montenegro." Already, Dr. Brennan's eyes were shifting away. "I'm sure that there will be . . . plenty of time for you to show me later. As it is, I have other important work to deal with." She turned away and headed back out to the door. "Welcome to the Jeffersonian." The words were almost an afterthought.

"Glad to be here." Angela muttered as she watched the brunette's form disappear out the door and away, one hand resting on her hip. Shaking her head, she turned back to the computer equipment and pulled up a desk chair. A few taps on the keys and various diagnostic programs began to run.


	3. Chapter 3

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

_A/N: Alright, here's chapter 3. This chapter is dedicated to my best online friend, Char. HAPPY BIRTHDAY BB...FOR YOUR BDAY, I KILLED YOU! (kidding, really...) Please, everyone, leave me reviews! :-) They're like my crack..._

_Disclaimer: I claim no ownership of these characters, and no affiliation whatsoever with Hart Hanson, "Bones", Fox, its affiliates, subsidiaries, etc. Please don't sue me!_

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It took a week for Angela to get her office fully situated, and get her imaging software up and running. During that time period, she regularly saw the majority of her co-workers – with the distinct exception of Dr. Brennan. In fact, Ange could've sworn that the woman was avoiding her.

Taking a break from algorithms and coding, Angela headed up to the catwalk where the employee lounge was. Her first time up, she'd felt the familiar sensation of vertigo every time she looked down. She'd never been a fan of heights, except when hiking (although even then she still stayed back several feet from the cliff's edge). After a few days of heading up there for coffee, however, she'd begun to adjust; here stomach only fluttered a little today.

Approaching the coffee and microwave stand, she smiled at Zack, who was pulling a bowl of steaming macaroni and cheese out of the microwave. "Hi Zack . . . so anything going on today?"

"Not really. Not yet. The good stuff won't happen until Dr. Brennan returns with the body," the grad student replied nonchalantly, sinking down onto the couch and lifting a fork.

"Whoa, hold up there. What? A body?"

"Of course. Apparently, it's a singer, someone famous, I think. Or maybe an actress. The FBI called her in. They wouldn't let me come, even though I'm her assistant."

"An actual body?"

"You do know what it is we do here, right?" Hodgins' voice came from behind her, and Ange turned to study the curly haired man.

"Well, yeah, I do. I mean . . . Dr. Goodman told me. But still. I just . . . wasn't expecting one already." She swallowed hard, then poured herself a cup of coffee and drank half of it before remembering she was a sweet and light kind of girl. _They should stock Bailey's here._

Hodgins smiled just a bit, moving past her to pour some coffee into a bright red mug that read _I 3 Bugs_ in black letters. "So I'm guessing this is your first?"

"Her first what?" Zack finally seemed to take an actual interest, looking from one to the other.

"Her first dead body. She's never seen a corpse before. Have you, Ange?" His smile shifted into a grin as he looked back to the brunette. Instead of answering, however, she was staring off the platform, looking down as Dr. Brennan walked in next to a gurney, upon which laid a figure covered by a black coroner's bag.

"Zack? Dr. Hodgins? I could use you both down here." Dr. Brennan called out, not even bothering to look around as she called for them.

"Be right down, !" Hodgins called back, taking one more sip from his mug before setting it down. Zack was already recovering his bowl and slipping it into the fridge to head down. The older man hesitated next to Angela, letting the student get ahead of him. "Look, really, if you're not ready, you don't have to come down. The good doc won't understand, but she probably wouldn't even really notice." The moment he said the words, he knew it was the wrong thing to say.

"Yeah, that's kind of the problem." Ange finished off her coffee, set her mug down decisively, then followed Zack down the stairs. Hodgins smiled a little and walked down as well.

By the time Angela reached Zack and Dr. Brennan, the coroner's bag had been transferred to one of the large steel tables on the platform. Ange stood back a little as she watched Zack pull on gloves and join Dr. Brennan at the table. Slowly, they unzipped the bag. Unable to help her basic nature, Ange took a small step forward to peer in as well.

"Oh my god, that's disgusting…is that even a person?" The words escaped before she could help it, as she studied the remains. The skeleton was completely devoid of flesh, hair, guts, anything that Angela knew belonged in a person. She could see there was a necklace around the neck, however, and there were some remnants of clothes as well.

Dr. Brennan's bright eyes flickered towards Ange, then back down to the body as she picked up a small recorder and turned it on. "Victim is female, twenty to twenty-five years of age." She paused as she scanned the rest of the corpse. "She's given birth, probably about five years ago. Cause of death." Now she paused, looking towards Zack.

Obediently, he stepped forward and took up the talk while carefully moving the woman's shirt aside. "The victim's neck appears to be broken. There is blood on the clothing, but I can't see where there are any other wounds at this time."

"I'll be taking the clothing, checking for particulates. Where was she found?" Hodgins stepped up past Angela and looked over at Brennan curiously, while already starting to carefully work at the victim's clothing.

"Just off a hiking trail. They think it's an accident, but they want us to make sure. She's been missing for about 9 months."

"I think I'm going to be sick." Angela said softly, still staring at the former woman.

"If you are, please do so away from the platform. I don't want you contaminating any evidence."

Ange looked up at Dr. Brennan in surprise. How could this woman be so . . . frozen, staring at something like this? "No, we wouldn't want that, would we?" She swallowed hard, then forced a smile. "I'll be fine. Thank you so much for your concern."

It was then that Dr. Goodman walked up. "Ah, Ms. Montenegro. I'm glad you're here already." He glanced towards Dr. Brennan and the platform, then back to Angela herself. "I believe that now is the perfect time to demonstrate your holographic imaging programs. Mr. Addy, Dr. Brennan, please see to it that Ms Montenegro is given the skull once it has been cleaned." And with that pronouncement, he turned and continued on his way.

Dr. Brennan hesitated for a moment, staring after him, then looked down at the body. "I concur with your description of the cause of death, Zack. You can give Ms. Montenegro the skull as soon as it's ready." Stripping off her gloves, she began to walk away. "I'll be in my office if you need me. There are a few things I have to work on for an upcoming court appearance."

"Please. It's Angela," But the words were too late, as Dr. Brennan had already moved out of hearing range. Shaking her head a little, she looked down at the woman's remains one more time, then took the folder that Hodgins was holding out to her. "What's this?"

"The dental records for the singer/actress this might be. They'll want you to compare it with your rendering and the X-Rays Zack'll do before bringing you the skull."

"Oh, goodie. Looking forward to that part," Her dark eyes rolled a little as she opened the folder and studied the picture of the blond woman within. "Charisma Gellar. Pretty girl."

"Dr. Brennan always says that we shouldn't look at things like that before discovering who the person was," Zack piped up as he worked at detaching the skull. "It'll ruin your objectivity."

"Well, Dr. Brennan isn't here. And she isn't me. Don't worry, I'm not spoiled by a picture," Angela shut the folder, then sighed a little. "Just . . . bring it to my office when you're done."

As she walked away, Zack looked at Hodgins in slight confusion. "Why do I feel like I just missed something?"

"Because you always do, Zack. You always do." He watched Angela walked away, then glanced in the direction of Brennan's office. "It's like being in the middle of an 80s flick." He shook his head, then returned his attention to the remains and the clothing that he still needed to begin to examine.


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: Sorry this chapter took so long! I'm not a science-minded person, so the squint-speak was a little difficult…plus I was out of town between Chap 3 & Chap 4. Hope y'all enjoy! R&R!!_

_Disclaimer: I claim no ownership of these characters, and no affiliation whatsoever with Hart Hanson, "Bones", Fox, its affiliates, subsidiaries, etc. Please don't sue me!_

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

CHAPTER 4

It took Ange longer than she would have liked to get everything ready. Three hours longer, in fact. But for this – her first audition, as she thought of it – everything had to be perfect. She ran the scenario four times to be sure, and triple-checked her sketch (paper and computer generated) against the tissue markers. When she was convinced everything was perfect, she called the others in.

Within fifteen minutes, she stood at one side of the Angelator, the lights dimmed, smiling around at everyone else. To her left was Dr. Goodman, to her right, Hodgins and Zack, and directly across from her stood Dr. Brennan.

"Thanks for coming in, guys. I have an ID ready for you. As well as a scenario of what happened to Cha-the victim." She had to remind herself that these people didn't like using names. "This is what I call the Angelator. It's a three dimensional holographic imaging program that I've designed to aid in the identification of victims. It'll also help with various scenarios. The computer programs that go along with it have been designed to analyze blood spatter patterns, and similar . . . things." _Okay. Note to self: work a little more on the speech next time._

"All of which is very impressive. I'm interested in seeing this in action, Ms. Montenegro." Dr. Goodman probably thought he was putting her at ease, but Ange was certainly feeling the pressure.

"Right. Well, here goes." Using a clipboard-sized computer pad and a stylus, she made a few adjustments, punched in a set of variables, and the Angelator came to life. Muted gold sparkling lights appeared in the air over the platform they stood around. "I used the tissue markers that Zack provided," Angela sent him a quick smile before continuing, "to extrapolate muscular structure, and cartilage. Based on the hair that Hodgins found with the . . . remains . . . which was dyed chestnut with blond roots, I gave her a paler complexion." In the midst of the lights appeared first the skull, which then began to grow muscles, veins, and at last, skin. "So this is our victim. Which matches the picture provided by the FBI. As does the paper sketch I drew first."

To her surprise, Dr. Brennan nodded appreciatively. Pure science, she could understand. "Very impressive. I agree, this is definitely Charisma Gellar. You mentioned something about a scenario?"

Emboldened by the easy acceptance, Angela smiled brightly and pressed a few keys on her pad with the stylus. The image in the air before them disappeared into tiny pixels, and the lights faded away. "For this part, it's easier to show you on the computer," she said, as she set the pad down on the table, then walked over to sit at her computer bank. She started to speak again as the other four gathered behind her chair. "I imputed the pictures of the crime scene, and created a 3D model of the cliffs where Gellar was found. Zack and Hodgins provided me with enlarged pictures of bruises they found on her bones. . . and I came up with this." Her fingers flashed across the keyboard as the program she'd written appeared on the screen. The cliffs, as she stated, complete with various rocks, trees, and roots appeared on the screen. A blond figure appeared at the top. "Now, based on the wounds she received, she started to fall at a seventy degree angle, and her momentum was steady." A few taps, and the figure shifted suddenly, then began to pitch forward down the cliffs. When the CGI representation of Charisma Gellar landed, Angela zoomed in and nodded towards the screen. "Right there is where her neck snapped. Based on all the variables, she wasn't pushed. The best I can tell is that she tripped."

Dr. Brennan stared at the screen for a few minutes, brow furrowed. "Could you run that again? Please." The please was pretty much an afterthought, but to Angela, it mattered. Without protest, she restarted the program, looking away herself as it ran through the scenario again. It sickened her to watch, which was why she'd muted the program to prevent the sound of the neck snapping from being heard.

"I . . . concur. I believe that this scenario is the most likely, based on the evidence." Dr. Goodman smiled as Dr. Brennan spoke up.

"I'll inform the FBI." With a light pat on Ange's shoulder, he turned and left her office.

Brennan leaned over to study the screen one more time, then shifted to look down at Angela. "Excellent work, Ms. Montenegro." Giving her a nod, she, too, then left the office.

Angela smiled a little, turning to Zack and Hodgins. "Wow, Angela. That program . . . it's pretty amazing." The older of the two smiled.

Zack nodded. "Dr. Brennan doesn't often give compliments. She must be very impressed."

"Great . . . maybe now she'll be a little more okay with me being here." The brunette turned back to the screen and closed the program, then emailed the files to both Dr. Brennan and Dr. Goodman to be added to the case information.

"Just give her time. She'll warm up to you eventually." Hodgins nodded with confidence, then checked his watch and glanced at Zack. "Well, since the case is all done, looks like it's time to head out. You ready?"

"I will be in five minutes." Zack headed out of the office.

Hodgins watched him go, then turned to study the woman who sat at the desk. "Angela . . . really, she's not as cold as she seems. She's just very fact-oriented."

Angela stood and turned to face him. "Yeah, I can see that. I just don't want an uncomfortable work environment. Sounds hinky, I know, but I haven't kept a job for very long in the past, and this seems like a great place to stay for a while."

He smiled at her. "We all are glad you're here, and hope you stay for a long time, Ange. Believe me." He hesitated, then opened his mouth to ask her something else, when her cell phone began to ring. _Probably for the best_. Hodgins just smiled again and waved slightly as she pulled out a small phone from a pocket, flipping it open to answer. As she began to talk to the person on the other line about some sort of "show" that evening, Jack turned and headed out of her office.

_Definitely for the best. Probably wouldn't've gone out for drinks with us anyway, woman as beautiful as she is. Doubt she'd want to be seen with a couple of geeks like Zack and me._


End file.
